Essays, articles, and musings, of B.K. Bass.

As broad in scope as our series on the fantasy genre was, exploring all that is encompassed by the name Science Fiction is an undertaking of epic proportions! Like daring explorers setting out to discover uncharted worlds, we are taking the first steps into realms of both the unknown and the unknowable!

Like a mechanical octopus rising from the deep, the various ‘punk genres of speculative fiction can be surprising, amusing, and frightening! The ‘punk genres often blur the lines between different types of speculative fiction. They also share a lot of common themes, such as antiauthoritarianism and disestablishmentarianism. The commonality of these themes is largely responsible for the use of the word “punk” in their names. The views expressed in early cyberpunk works – which birthed the entire movement – reflected those of the punk subculture of the 1970’s and 1980’s.

In this series of three articles, we take a look at the origin, history, and sub-genres of fantasy literature. Part One covers the history of the genre. Part Two looks at the main sub-genres. Part Three examines the more niche sub-genres.

Given that this website is a platform for my career as a fiction author, I tend to avoid speaking out about current events. Considering the gravitas of today’s events, however, I feel that opening dialogues about what is happening is the only responsible thing to do.

I set out to write an epic science fiction action blockbuster, but that’s not what I’m writing now. As I write the story of Jace Cox in What Once Was Home, I find myself focusing less on the war and more on Jace and his friends.

Fantasy world building is a staple of the genre. Arguably, our fantasy settings are what defines our genre. Many professionals will argue, though, that the setting is the least important part of any story. The plot is what drives the story itself, and it’s the characters that connect the reader to the plot, and are therefore the most important facet of any story, despite the genre. What I hope to accomplish here is a brief overview of how you can use concepts of sociology to tie your characters to your setting, thereby establishing the glue that will bind the people of your fantasy world to the world itself.